I am asking this question from an architectural point of view. I have been looking up tutorials and blog posts related to Node.js. Apart from a server-side implementation of Javascript, I don't see anything new when compared to the basic concepts used in CICS since the 1970s.
I must admit that the implementation and other technical details are different (PC vs Mainframe, Scripting language vs COBOL, UNIX vs MVS). However, other than those, I don't see any difference.
Can someone offer some insights from the architectural view?
The purpose of CICS psuedo-conversational programming is to release common resources while the user is filling out the screen.
Node.js keeps a single thread for your code while all input / output runs in parallel with your code.
With CICS, the developer has to code in a certain way (psuedo-conversational) so that the shared CICS system would run efficiently. With node.js, the design lets you code without worrying about the underlying architecture.
I'd say that the concepts are different. The developer serves CICS, while node.js serves the developer. It's like the difference between a dictatorship and a facilitator.